


Take A Moment to Enjoy the Desert View

by fikkifini



Category: Free!
Genre: A camel makes an important appearance, Desert AU, Emperor! Rin, First Kiss, Flirting, Fluff, Guardian! Nagisa, It's like kind of based off Splash Free, M/M, Mild Language, Mild Sexual Humor, Nagisa is a flirtatious little thing, Navigator! Rei, Rei just wants to save the empire, River God! Haruka, but how can he resist those eyes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-23
Updated: 2018-01-23
Packaged: 2019-03-08 17:17:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,440
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13462866
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fikkifini/pseuds/fikkifini
Summary: After an unfortunate divine turn of events at the fault of Emperor Rin, the desert empire Samezuka has run out of water and is desperate for a solution! No one is more capable of finding that solution than Rei, an expert navigator who is brave enough to traverse the desert to find a new source of water. However, what he finds instead is a much more interesting view.





	Take A Moment to Enjoy the Desert View

**Author's Note:**

  * For [nargles_exist](https://archiveofourown.org/users/nargles_exist/gifts).



> An AU where desert gods and guardians exist and no one questions it for the sake of the plot :D
> 
> What a fun commission! Anda-jane on tumblr and I sort of mushed our brains together to come up with this idea, and eventually it formed from us chatting about different AUs. I really hope she likes it! And thank you to the dearest Tallyn for beta'ing this! The Reigisa Fluff is strong with this one... Please enjoy :)

“Dry as a desert,” Rei concludes in valiant defeat, glaring at the forsaken, barren dunes before him, agitatedly snapping his compass closed, “as expected, of course.”

He’s talking to no one in particular. Unless you count Mamun, his less than conversational travel companion, who also happens to be a camel. Aside from Mamun, there has been no one to talk to for…

Rei assesses the sun’s position in the sky for a moment.

For approximately eight days, twelve hours, and- if his assessments are correct- thirty-four minutes.

He hums in thought. He only left with enough water to supply him for two weeks travel if rationed properly between him and Mamun, which means he’s already behind by a day and a half. If he doesn’t begin his journey back to the empire today, he’ll surely run out of water before his return.

“Damn,” he sighs, wipes at his brow with the back of his hand because it’s hotter than all hell out here. His sweat drips down his cheekbones and off his chin, speckling the golden sand at his feet. He almost wishes he could save those precious droplets, but like some kind of horrifying magic, they evaporate in seconds right before his eyes.

No use standing around here. He’ll have to accept failure and return to Emperor Matsuoka with the unfortunate news. Not that the Emperor really has any right to be upset with Rei at this point anyway. It was all his fault in the first place.

“Really, Mamun, who has the  _ audacity _ to challenge Haruka, God of the River Hurriya, to a swimming contest of all things?”  

The camel snuffles disgustingly in response.

“Exactly.”

Though it may be true that his emperor Rin has always been fond of swimming, and one of the few who dared to attempt it in the unforgiving currents of Hurriya, that certainly did not qualify his skills to exceed those of a  _ god.  _ And it absolutely did not warrant challenging said god to his title, pissing him off, and getting the entire empire cursed because of it.

As legend told, the river god Haruka was fiercely protective over two things, the first being his lover and divine protector of the Hurriya Valley, Makoto. The second being his indisputable command over the great river that divided the lands between an ancient forest and a vast desert, the only source of water for hundreds of miles inland. In short, he had a severely competitive nature if ever challenged to it. And challenge Rin did.

The whole debacle was utterly embarrassing, if Rei was being honest. As the emperor’s chief navigator and dear friend, he did all he could to warn against such foolish behavior. However, the young and arrogant ruler paid no mind to Rei’s warnings and announced to his subjects, in such an unnecessarily grand gathering outside of his palace, that had grown  _ tiresomely _ bored and felt a thrilling relay against the guardian of Hurriya himself would no doubt lift his spirits, in which Rin would surely prove to his subjects his superiority as the best swimmer in the valley.

Naturally, Haruka heard his obnoxious boasts and did not take to them kindly.

In all his life, Rei had never witnessed the manifestation of a god. He always imagined it would be as if the ground was opening beneath them and the sky crumbling above them. Absolute terror and chaos at its finest.

He was far from correct.

Not a single soul took notice of Haruka’s appearance until he was already gracefully ascending the steps of the palace, his firm sapphire gaze and hollow expression guiding his path straight to the emperor himself. He looked no more than an ordinary man, with sleek black hair and a lithe figure, perhaps more on the beautiful side than most, but nonetheless relatively normal. He strode with such an eerie confidence, a deadly stare. Even without the crumbling ground and skies, Rei knew he should be afraid.

Upon Rin’s command, guards swarmed the mysterious man, but none could lay a hand on his skin. They grasped desperately for something to cling to, but their frantic hands fell through the man’s flesh like nothing but air.

Haruka reached the precipice of the palace stairway and proudly approached the Emperor, nose to nose with the redhead who shook visibly with fury at the god’s presence, irritated at how helpless his grand armies and guards looked now. How foolish  _ he _ looked now.

“You dare challenge me?” Haruka spoke softly, though it lacked any ounce of kindness at all.

Masking his annoyance easily, Rin boasted his usual conceited smirk in the god’s face, “I don’t think it will be much of a challenge, per se, but you can call it that if it makes you feel better.”

And that is essentially how Rin got the entire contents of the Hurriya River drained as punishment for his arrogance towards the gods in a single day.

Which is directly correlated to why Rei is scouring the middle of the desert right now, in search of some kind of water supply that can hopefully sustain an entire city. Not only does he serve as Rin’s personal guide, but he is also a vastly experienced and expert navigator; the only one fit to venture into this unforgiving desert and make it back alive, and hopefully with a solution. After all, there is only a limited stock of emergency water stored at the palace, as well as a public supply, but Rei is certain that by the time of his return, both will be running dangerously dry. They’re counting on him: Rin, his friends and family, the entire city. They’re all counting on his success.

He needs to find water.

No, he needs a miracle, really.

Mamun grunts unflatteringly again. He must agree.

With a dejected sigh, he removes the gold frames from his eyes and pulls a worn cloth from his vest pocket, using it to polish the lenses vigorously while he fumes quietly over his inevitable failure. If only he could find something,  _ anything _ that would give him a sign, some kind of hopeful indication that water exists somewhere in this damned place. A palm tree, an insect, even just a blade of grass would do! He just needs some kind of reason to not give up just yet.

He puts his glasses back on once all the specks of sand have been thoroughly removed, blinking a bit while his eyes adjust back into focus.

That’s when Rei sees him.

At least, he  _ thinks _ he sees something, him, whatever it is. Then again, it could always be one of those pesky mirages, a trick of the eyes only to lure him further into the endless sea of sand dunes before him. He can’t be certain, but the figure looks like a petite person sitting cross-legged atop a dune, with fluffy golden hair and wearing little more than an elaborately embroidered, cropped red vest and relaxed purple pants. A sheer cloth is draped over their face, but Rei has an odd sense that he can still see a mischievous smirk behind that cloth even from all the way over here.

“Ah, hello?” He calls, polite but apprehensive.

“Hi there!” The other replies enthusiastically, as if they were patiently waiting to be addressed this whole time. “Are you lost? You look a little lost to me,” he, Rei decides that this must be a he by the tenor of his voice, giggles.

Not pleased to have his navigational skills questioned, Rei insists assuredly, “No, no. I’m not lost at all. In fact, I was just about to turn around and head home right before I saw you.”

“I see.” The stranger leaps to his bare feet, trotting down the side of the dune so effortlessly, it’s almost as if he’s gliding. As he approaches, Rei can clearly make out round, pink-hued eyes and a friendly, somewhat curious smile, and… my, an exceptionally fit physique. It puts him a little more at ease, but not enough to let his guard down yet. “Oh, you’re a lot cuter from up close! Just taking a leisurely stroll through the desert then? Today is a nice day for it,” he laughs. Rei does not. He’s on a very serious and important mission right now, there’s no time for strolling, obviously.

“You’ve misunderstood,” he amends flatly, “I’m on a critical mission given to me personally by Emperor Matsuoka of Samezuka at the moment. I have received orders to find a source of water large enough to supply an entire city. So as you can see, this is far more important that a carefree walk for my own pleasure.”

“So what  _ do _ you do for your own pleasure then?” The other lilts with a bat of his lengthy lashes, distinctly suggestive despite his innocent as ever grin.

Unsure of how to interpret such a broad question, Rei stutters deflectively and changes the subject, “Uh, I- well, what is your name? It is impolite of me not to ask.”

“You can call me whatever you want, but most people here call me Nagisa. How about you, cutie?”

Most people? There’s clearly no one else around except Rei and Mamun.

He clears his throat strictly. “Ah, I would appreciate it if you did  _ not _ call me that.” Nagisa giggles again, but notably does not apologize nor agree to his request.

“I go by Rei. And may I ask, who are you referring to when you say ‘most people’?”

“Oh,” Nagisa waves it off with a casual flick of the wrist, “just the others at the oasis. They don’t come by too often but usually-”

Rei has already stopped listening approximately 2.3 seconds ago though, at the very mention of the word  _ oasis. _

“Wait, wait!” He perks up in his eagerness, grabbing the smaller man’s wrists hopefully. “An oasis? There’s an oasis nearby?”

Nagisa shrugs, as if it isn’t the greatest news Rei has ever heard in his entire life. “Well, yeah. You think I’m just hanging out in the middle of a desert because of the killer view?”

“Views are beside the point, please show me immediately to this oasis you speak of,” Rei cuts off, all urgent business because by gods, he has done it! Rin will be so pleased, and his reputation as the greatest navigator of Samezuka will be saved. His accomplishments will surely go down in history, his name remembered as a savior of the empire during its darkest time! This truly will be-

“No can do, hot stuff.”

“Please don’t call me that either.”

“Also a no can do.”

“You do not understand. This is a matter of  _ life _ or  _ death, _ ” Rei insists irritably, narrowing his eyes. “There are people depending on me to return to them with a solution and you are single-handedly hindering that possibility!”

“Oh,” Nagisa winces, “that sounds like it stinks.”

“Well, it would stink  _ less _ if you showed me where this oasis supposedly is.”

He kicks at the sand, rolling his eyes in thought and sing-songs, “Ohhh, I don’t know. Ya see, I’m under orders too. And I’m not really supposed to show anyone the oasis.”

Huffing, Rei folds his arms over his chest. He seriously doubts that is the case, considering, as he mentioned before, there is absolutely no one fucking here. “The orders of whom? Because I assure you, my Emperor can sway this person with whatever they want to change their mind.”

“Ah ah, I think it might be too late for that,” the blonde sways back on his heels, hands tucked innocently behind his back, “considering  _ your emperor _ is the one who pissed off my master in the first place, Rei- _ chan _ .”

There’s a knowing twinkle in the smaller man’s eyes that sets Rei’s heart pounding anxiously. It can’t be… could it?

“You… Are you implying that you’re under orders given by Haruka, God of Hurriya?”

“Yes siree! I’m officially the Guardian of Hazuki Oasis,” he exclaims proudly, as if he’s just received something as trivial as a job promotion. Vaguely, Rei wonders if that might not be too far off from the truth. “Instructed personally by  _ the _ Haruka himself, which means I can’t just go bending the rules for anybody without good reason.  _ Especially _ not someone who was sent by my masters mortal enemy at the moment, even if he is quite a cutie.”

This, minus the unnecessary flattery, is absolutely critical information. Not only is he speaking with an oasis guardian, but someone who has access to Haruka as well. Logically speaking, he has two clear options that he must weigh carefully given this new information. Obviously, an oasis will only last the people of Samezuka so long, for it has only a limited supply of water, therefore their problems would merely be temporarily solved if those chose to relocate. However, if he can somehow gain leverage over Nagisa and convince him to allow Rei to speak with Haruka, possibly even change his mind, then he could restore water to the entire river itself!

Rei switches tactics immediately, a new plan formulating in his head. “Look, we’re both men of business, eh? You have your orders, I have mine. And we are both loyally obligated to abide by our masters.  _ But, _ ” he reasons, stooping a little to diminish the distinct height difference between them. To level the playing field, as one may say. “What if we made a- a deal, that way, we both get something that we want, hm?”

“Interesting.” Nagisa eyes him skeptically, pursing his pink lips. “I can already tell exactly what it is you want, Rei-chan. You’re an easy to read fellow. I could do what I can to get Haruka to listen to you, but I doubt you’ll be willing to give me what I want in return.”

Scoffing with a haughty chuckle, Rei waves off his doubt. “Well what possibly could it be that you want so bad? I’m sure it cannot be anything so complex-”

“I want you to be my lover.”

Rei gags on spit. Literally. Mamun grunts his concern, but Rei hardly notices it over his own squawking, choking sounds. He struggles to breath for a pathetic five seconds before he can possibly gasp out a response.

“E-excuse me?”

“Mm, I knew it! You couldn’t last a day as my lover even if you wanted to. Not with those gag reflexes, anyway.” Nagisa chides with a pout, turning on his heels. He glances over his shoulder, the pout replaced instantly with a sinister smirk, “It’s too bad. I already had a really good speech planned for Haru-chan, I think he really would have changed his mind if I tried. Oh well… Guess you’ll just have to wait for some rain.” With a shrug, he skips off, heading back in the direction of the dune he appeared upon.

As ridiculous as it is, Rei cannot simply stand by and watch his only chance of saving Samezuka trot away without a good fight. Dignity aside, he must do something. By gods, he will return from this mission successfully, even if it means becoming the lover of some silly little guardian for the sake of the empire. He cannot let Rin down now!

“Wait!” He rasps, stumbling a bit after Nagisa. The other turns once more, that knowing smile gracing his lips again. Rei sighs for the second time in defeat today. “Wait, I’ll… I’ll come with you and, ah, agree to your terms for today. But only so long as you uphold your part of the deal.”

“Oh don’t worry, Rei-chan,” Nagisa assures with a wider grin, beckoning him with an outstretched hand and a wink, “I’ll uphold a  _ lot _ more than that.”

Groaning in shame, Rei huffs miserably. He gathers himself with what little dignity he has left and takes Mamun by the reigns, guiding them along the trail of Nagisa’s footprints, who is already sprinting excitedly ahead of them. “Oh Mamun,” he grumbles, “please, do not think any less of me for what you are about to witness.”

Mamun simply snorts mockingly in reply.

.

.

.

“Rei-chan, if you’re going to take me seriously as your lover, you  _ must _ call me Nagisa-kun,” the younger reproaches, splashing the water childishly. “It’s not cute when you call me ‘Nagisa’ in that strict tone of yours.” He mimics Rei’s voice teasingly to demonstrate. “’Nagisa, it’s highly inappropriate to be undressing in front of each other in such a s-scenario.”

“Well it is!” Rei shrieks a little higher pitched than he would have liked. It’s not a very flattering noise. He’s been standing beside the pristine, crystal clear waters of the oasis now for far too long, debating whether or not he should just bite the bullet and take his pants off at this point.

Nagsia, who is predictably already stark naked and wading through the water leisurely, sighs dramatically with his hands firmly on his hips. “If you’re going to be my lover you can’t be shy about these things!”

Begrudgingly, and with a bit more insisting on Nagisa’s part, Rei finally secedes and strips his remaining clothing, dipping into the water immediately and hoping that Nagisa’s shamelessly wandering eyes did not see too much. After a tense moment of cold reaching all kinds of uncomfortable places, he relaxes into the oasis a bit and exhales, watching Nagisa play and splash around with… alright yes, he’ll admit it’s fondness.

The thing is, well, he sort of likes Nagisa, for what he knows about him at this point. He can already tell that he’s weak to the smaller man’s requests; that it doesn’t take much convincing for him to go along with whatever it is Nagisa may ask. Rei likes that he’s brave and knows exactly what he does and does not want, and he likes Nagisa’s positive outlook on near almost everything he sees. And maybe if things had been different, if they had met in Samezuka or not in such a peculiar scenario, he possibly,  _ maybe _ , would not have totally dismissed the idea of being Nagisa’s lover at some point in the distant future. Slowly building their relationship, spending time talking while on romantic walks and enjoying each other’s company. And from purely an aesthetic standpoint as well, he would not be opposed to maybe kissing someone who is so uniquely beautiful too, with his glittering magenta eyes, and such flawless, porcelain skin. His lithe and elegant physique, his adorably pouted lips, that  _ smile _ and-

Rei chews his lip anxiously, focusing on the sting to will away such distracting thoughts. Nagisa’s voice thankfully pulls his attention away then.

“Come in deeper, Rei-chan! The water is really cool over here, it feels great,” he sighs happily, eyes falling shut and floating on his back while enjoying the calm waters.

“I… uh, I cannot, Nagisa-kun.”

Nagisa cracks a doubtful eye open at him. “And why not?”

It’s quite embarrassing, he really doesn’t want to admit it, especially not to the guardian of an oasis. Not even the Emperor knows… “I simply cannot. I’ll watch from over here, thank you.”

Unsurprisingly, Nagisa does not accept his answer easily. He flips over and dives beneath the water. He glides as smoothly as a fish, kicking his way over to Rei’s shallow perch. Nagisa surfaces with a splash, just inches from Rei’s face, so close that he’s trying not to blush while also discretely covering his more  _ private _ parts with a hand. “Rei-chan,” there’s that all-knowing smirk again, “is it possible that you don’t know how to swim?”

He cannot lie. Not to such a precious face, at least. He has a feeling Nagisa would be able to see right through him anyway.

“I-it is possible that, er, that may be the case.”

Rei’s not sure if this is the best or worse news Nagisa has ever heard based on his reaction. He gasps dramatically, a hand covering his mouth, and his round eyes look even more, pitifully wider. He’s silent for a record breaking three seconds before he lowers his hand slowly, mouth agape but the twinkle of an idea clear in his vision. “I want to teach you, then,” he asserts finally, more serious than Rei has ever seen him up until now. “It will be so cute, we’ll be like real boyfriends!”

Sputtering, Rei doesn’t even have time to think of a proper excuse before Nagisa has him gripped (and might he add, not very gently) by the wrists, dragging him in deeper until the water is just barely above Rei’s belly-button. Nagisa maneuvers them so that he’s standing before Rei with their hands join together, encouraging Rei to lift his feet and try floating on his stomach.

“Here, then you just kick your legs and that’s swimming! I’ll hold on to your hands to make sure you don’t sink, okay?”

“A-alright,” he nods, understanding. It can’t be that difficult, after all. If the Emperor can do it, then he can certainly learn as well!

Like this, they practice for what feels like hours. Rei isn’t sure, he stopped paying attention to the sun a good while ago, a little lost in the brightness of the person standing before him instead. Embarrassingly, swimming is much more difficult than he anticipated, and he sinks like a rock whenever Nagisa lets go of his hands to let him try paddling on his own, but he’s never laughed so much in his life and his cheeks burn from smiling when they finally decide to call it quits, settling at the bank of the oasis while enjoying the view of the burning sunset behind the dunes.

“See,” Nagisa pokes his side playfully, “the desert does have some nice views if you ever stop to just enjoy them!”

“Mm, it seems you are correct,” he hums with a content smile. When he looks to his right at the other man, he finds another desert view he’d be happy to stare at for quite a while as well.

Nagisa doesn’t notice his stare though. He just leans back onto his elbows and sighs happily, gazing out at the horizon. Rei, however, can’t tear his eyes away from the man’s beautiful profile, his perfectly sloped nose and angled jaw. The delicate curve of his neck that seamlessly flows into his petite shoulders.

He knows it’s almost night and that technically, the terms of their agreement will end, but he’s not sure if he’s quite ready to give up this view just yet.

“So,” Nagisa starts suddenly in his usual cheerful tone, also something sounds off this time, “I guess I should probably get to work on Haru-chan, huh. Samezuka needs their water, after all!” He smiles, but it doesn’t quite reach his eyes. “Today was fun though, it was nice having someone else here to swim with for once. Even if you’re not very good at it, Rei-chan.”

Nagisa peers over at him playfully, but neither of them expect Rei to be so close and it makes the blonde gasp softly.

“Um, Nagisa-k-kun,” he stumbles, wavering from the enticing proximity as well. “If you can promise that my empire will be saved, I- um, well, I think I could manage to stay your lover for a little while longer. If you would like it.”

“I’d really like that,” Nagisa nods a little deftly, like he can’t really believe what he’s hearing. That’s okay, Rei thinks, because he can’t really believe what he’s saying either. “Haru-chan has been worried about me being here alone,” he explains softly, “so I think when he hears what a great sacrifice you’ve made for me, he’ll be more than obligated to grant you whatever wish it is you want.”

Rei chuckles. He dares to lean in a bit more, “Funny. I don’t feel like I’m making a sacrifice at all. Besides,” he closes the distance between them bravely, pressing a chaste kiss to Nagisa’s lips. It’s modest, but shows all his gratitude, short enough that the other doesn’t have time to respond before Rei is pulling away shyly, adjusting his glasses and clearing his throat, “I think the Emperor will forgive my late return once he sees the river full again.”

“Rei-chan…”

“Now,” he straightens up, willing away the blush on his own cheeks and leaping back into the water, “we still have approximately… fifty-three minutes until the sun has set completely. Shall we give it one more shot? If I’m going to be an excellent boyfriend, I must learn to swim properly for you.” Grinning, Rei extends his hand towards Nagisa, his heart warming considerably as he watches a hesitant, hopeful smile bloom on the other’s lips.

Nagisa takes his hand and leaps in after him, giggling elatedly, “Sounds like a deal to me!”

.

.

.

“Y-your highness! Please, come quickly!”

Rin struggles against the weight of sleep in his eyes, groaning irritably at the sound of his servant’s voice and tossing over in his bed. He blinks lazily, noticing immediately that his room is still dark as the dead of night. “What could you  _ possibly _ want at this hour, Nitori?”

The grey-haired, timid servant stutters again, although he certainly doesn’t look afraid, just incredibly excited about something. “T-the river, your highness! It’s the river!”

Gaping, Rin bolts upright abruptly, his stomach in knots, his optimistic mind running a mile a minute. “He’s done it?” He whispers, not daring to be too hopeful yet.

“Please, come look,” Nitori insists, holding out the Emperor’s robe. Rin practically leaps off his bed, allowing the servant to help him dress quickly. Together they race down the stone halls to the entrance of the palace, too eager to slow their pace to anything less than a jog. Panting with adrenaline, Rin bursts out onto the grand stairway outside of the palace doors, his eyes landing easily on the great river that his empire was built upon.

He falls to his knees, a shout of relief and joy echoing into the night. In the glow of the moonlight, the cascading currents of the river Hurriya reflect brightly, shimmering as the water crests against the banks. “My Gods, he’s done it!” Rin exclaims, shaking his head in disbelief. He looks to the horizon, his eyes searching for the return of the navigator, but something in Rin’s gut tells him that it’s no use. He’s not coming home, at least not yet.

“Rei,” he murmurs reverently, “thank you.” He looks up to the sky with a breaking grin, at the marvelous stars above and the glorious moon, and whispers once more, hoping that their savior will feel his overwhelming gratitude somehow.

“Thank you.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! If you would like to request a commission or just get to know me, please take a look at my [makoharu blog](http://tachinanabananase.tumblr.com/tagged/commission-rules) for rules as well as my [personal blog](http://fikkifini.tumblr.com/) on tumblr! <3


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